Ore-concentrator.



H. EARLE.

ORE GONGENTRATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 3, 1913.

1,035,596, Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

C'.LUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAs|-nNGTON, D. c.

HENRY EARLE, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

ORE-GONCENTRATOR.

Specification of- Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914:.

Application filed May 3, 1913. Serial No. 765,336.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY EARLE, of Montreal, county of Hochelaga, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Concentrators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an ore concentrator of that class in which a conical pan with spiral riffles is used and it relates particularly to an improved construction of the ore concentrator shown and described in my United States Letters Patent No. 987 ,866 dated Mar. 28, 1911.

In my concentrator as described in my former patent, I made use of a vibratory shallow, generally conical pan, rotatable on an axis which was inclined to the perpendicular so that the lower portion of the conical pan would be substantially horizontal. A narrow upwardly extending rim surrounded the pan so that in operation the water formed a shallow pool at the lower or level portion of the pan. The ore was discharged into this pool and the vibration or reciprocation of the pan caused the ores to stratify, the heavy ore settling down between the riflles and the tailings being washed laterally across the rifiles by means of the wash water. 7

The pan had an intermittent turning movement in addition to its shaking motion and this turning movement brought the tailings and concentrates partly out of the pool of water at each turn ofthe pan. This material was continually washed back into the pool by the action of the wash water which was applied on the slopin side of the pan above the pool and on the sic e up which the material was being moved.

It was supposed that the concentrates having become separated from the tailings in the pool the two materials would remain separated as they were washed back into the pool, that the heavy concentrates would follow the riftles and the tailings would be washed laterally across them and over the edge of the rim. It was found however, in practice, that each time the pan turned a part revolution the wash water as it washed the concentrates and tailings back into the pool would so agitate the water in the pool that the heavy ores which had settled behind the riflies would be stirred up and washed laterally over the rilfles, thus escaping over the edge of the pan. I have remedied this difiiculty by means of my present invention which consists essentially of securing to the tops of the spiral riffles a series of transverse riftles. These transverse riffies enable me to do away with the pool used in my former construction and to accomplish the result aimed at in a far more perfect manner as hereinafter more fully set forth.

I have illustrated my invention by means of the accompanying drawing, in which I show the rotating pan of my former machine provided with transverse rillles over the spiral riflles and without showing the arrangements for mounting and turning which are the same as in my former patent.

In the drawing Figure l is a plan of the pan constructed according to my present invention and looking directly into it parallel with its axis, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the pan with a portion of the frame and adjacent parts in position, reference being had to myformer patent for other details of construction common to my present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the pan generally is designated by A, the outer conical portion by a, the inner conical portion by a, and the discharge opening by (4 b b are the spiral rifiies terminating at the edge of the pan and at the central opening, 6 is a portion of the frame to which is secured the wash water launder (Z.

Asstated, I prefer in this form of chine to dispense with the upwardly turned rim and I now prefer to make use of a downwardly turned rim a which does not confine the water but allows it to run freely over the edge of the pan.

To efiect the more complete separation of the heavy ores and the lighter material I provide a series of transverse riflies c which are secured to the tops of the spiral ritHes and extend laterally across them. They are preferably applied to the riffles of the outer conical section of the pan and they extend as here shown, from the edge of the pan to a point outside the line where the two conical sections join. They thus cover a portion of the horizontal section of the pan which in my former construction .was occupied by the pool. The transverse ritiles are spaced close enough to one another to obtain the effect desired, which is as follows :IVhen the bed of ore and water contained in the pan is given a shaking or oscillating motion, the cross rililes keep the bed of ore loose and. open so that the heavier particles of ore quickly settle downthrough the lighter -n1aterial and collect on the bottom of the pan between the spiral riiiles, the heavier ore particles being thereby protected from the, cross flow of water not only by the spiral riiiles but also by the covering or layer o't' light material on top. Another important e'fi'ectof the cross rililes is to spread the ore and water in a t'hin bedor sheetby means of the slow turning motion of the pan. The ore bed and water by this means are carried partly up the sloping side of the pan and more eti'ectively separated by the wash water. The lighter particles 0 f waste inater-ia'l being on top of the heavier ore particles are carried by the cross riflles farther up the slope of the pan so that there is a distinct division laterally between the tailings and the concentrates. The 'tailings occupying the upper part of the slope are carried by the wash water to the edge of the pan and discharged, the concentrates being protected by the band of tailings from the action of the wash water. Another effect of the cross ritlles is to increase the capacity of the machine by "causing the tailings to be more quickly removed. This is done by their action in directing the flow of wash water across the spiral riflles and thereby hastening the discharge of the tailings. The heavier ore particles or concentrates 'lying below the cross rifiies are not subjected to this action. The capacity of thec'ross rililes for quickly removing the tailings can be increased by plaein-gjthem at a more acute angle with the spiral rililes.

The cross 'riiiles may be of any required crosssection and secured to the tops of the spiral riltles in any desired manner. They may extend in a "adial direction as here shown, making right angles with thespiral riflies'or the'yin'ay cross the spiral riliies-at more or lessncute anglescurving from the center of the pan toward the edge.

The cross riitles may be used in connection with a raised rirn which forms a water poolor'onany'concentrator using a pan of anydes'ired form with spiral riflles for gradu'ally lifting the "concentrates by the retat-ion ofthe pan.

1. An ore concentrator of the class described consisting of a generally conical rotary pan with an inclined axis and an internal discharge opening, a series of spiral riiiles terminating at said discharge opening and a series of cross rifiies extending transversely across said spiral riiiies and superimposed thereon.

2. An ore concentrator of the class described consisting of a generally conical rotary pan with an inclined axis and an terna'l discharge opening, a series of spiral ritlles terminating said discharge opening, and a series of radially disposed cross ritlles extending transversely across said spiral riffles and superimposed thereon.

3. An ore concentrator of the class described, including the combination of a rota'ta ble pan having its axis of rotation inclined to the perpendicular and having a central opening, said pan having an outer conical sect-ion the lower portio-nof which is substantially horizontal, an innerconicalsect-ion 'the lower portion of which inclines npward to said opening, a series of spiral riiiles the inner ends of which terminate at said opening and a series of 'ri'liles extending transversely across the spiral Times on said outereonical section and being superimposed thereon.

t. An ore concentrator of the class described, including a generally conical rotatable panadapted to rotate on an inclined axis to bring the lower portion of the pan substantially horizontal, said pan having spiral Titties and an unobstructed rim and being provided with a series of transverse rililes superin'iposed on said -spiral riflies.

An ore concentratorof the class described, including a generally conical rotatable pan adapted *to rotate=on an inclined axis to bring the lower portionof the pan substantially horizontal, said pan having spiral rifilesandbeing provided with a series of transverse riflles superimposed on said spiral riii'les. V v

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY EARLE.

WVitnesses V HERBER'l M. MILLER, A. EAREE. 

